How to use Kodi to play classic video game ROMs -- Mario, Sonic, Zelda, and more!

As someone who was born in the 1980s, I experienced the golden age of video games. While the graphics were archaic by today's standards, the games were much more fun than the ones of today. People tend to forget that fun is the most important aspect of video games -- sound and graphics be damned. You bought a completed game and there were no updates, DLC or loot crates to be had. It was an amazing time.

Luckily, enjoying these classic games of yesteryear is very easy thanks to emulators. While the legality is a bit sketchy, you can download thousands of retro games (ROMs) and play them on your PC with near-flawless results. To make things even more convenient, the Kodi media center can now be used to play these ROMs. If you want to try this for yourself, I am happy to say you can do so immediately. The folks over at TVAddons have created a very useful guide.

"Retro gaming is the newest feature being introduced in the upcoming release of Kodi 18 Leia. Now you’ll be able to play all your favourite video games directly through Kodi, no additional hardware required. In addition to Kodi offering built-in emulators, there is a new addon called the Internet Archive ROM Launcher which allows you to download vintage video games on the fly, free of charge! Since older video games are no longer distributed or sold, they are considered abandonware and are therefore DMCA exempt. This is still in the testing phase, but we think it’s hella’ cool nonetheless," says TVAddons.

The group also says, "This exciting new version of Kodi gives you access to emulators for dozens of retro gaming consoles such as Atari, Commodore 64, Game Boy Classic, Game Boy Color, MS-DOS, Nintendo 64, Sega Dreamcast, Sega Genesis, Sega Saturn, Super NES and many more! Just when you thought Kodi couldn’t get any better, this happened. Now you can switch between your favourite movies, TV shows and video games with the touch of a button. Next thing you know, Kodi will be able to read your mind and cook you the perfect eggs for breakfast."

If you are ready to try this yourself, you can use the guide below. Keep in mind, we here at BetaNews do not condone piracy -- you should proceed at your own risk. Do not download any ROMs if it is illegal in your country.